Leading Ambrosia QSR as President and CEO is Luke Pisors. After 30 years in the restaurant business, most recently as SVP of Operations with Arby’s, Luke believes strongly in the power of an organization’s culture as the foundation upon which growth occurs. That growth must begin at the individual, then the organizational level, and then impact the guest experience, before it translates to growing sales and profits. After growing up in Wisconsin and living throughout the eastern half of the US during his career, Luke maintains an allegiance to the Green Bay Packers despite enjoying living in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and daughter.
Building our culture and processes relating to people is Teresa Donich, our Vice President of Human Resources. Teresa most recently led the HR department for Black Bear Diner based in Redding CA, with a presence in 18 states across both company and franchised operations. Teresa has led HR teams with several other restaurant brands, including a decade with a large Burger King operator, so she brings a broad set of competencies to Ambrosia QSR as we build organizational capacity. Relocating to Portland has been a homecoming of sorts for Teresa, who grew up a couple of hours north in Federal Way WA, and started her career with Starbucks.
Leading the Accounting Department for Ambrosia QSR is Reuben Rentas, who has over 13 years of experience in assurance, leadership, and accounting in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Reuben works to create systems and processes that deliver timely and accurate results so that restaurant operators have the information they need to make business decisions. In addition, he leads by focusing on the success and growth of those within the organization. Prior to joining Ambrosia QSR, he led the accounting team at Sustainable Restaurant Group based out of Portland, OR. Reuben joined Ambrosia QSR to build on the company's existing financial reporting and accounting, and to support Ambrosia QSR's mission for their guests, employees, and the growth of the company.
Leading our Burger King teams for the 33 restaurants in metro Portland as Director of Operations is Chuck Pe Benito. Prior to taking this role, Chuck served as a Director of Operations of 41 Popeyes restaurants in Colorado, Utah and Nevada. Previously, Chuck served in multi-unit management for Burger King in Oregon. Chuck has a unique mix of experience across both Burger King and Popeyes, over the course of 30 years in the restaurant business.
Arturo Lopez leads the Burger King teams as Director of Operations in the 33 restaurants stretching from the southern Portland metro, Salem, Albany, Lebanon, Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg, and the coastal towns. He started working for the Burger King brand in 1992, and in these 28 years of experience he has held different positions, always in the area of operations.
Nancy oversees daily operations of the Ambrosia QSR team in the greater Seattle market. Known for her focus on excellence, expertise, and maximizing her team's potential through consistent execution. She instills in her team to "better their best" while upholding the Company's values and consistently achieving results. Nancy is passionate about developing leaders and challenging them to grow within Ambrosia. Nancy has spent the last 35 years within the QSR industry, starting as a crew member at McDonald's and moving to Burger King 12 years ago.
Leading our Burger King team from Seattle northward is Bob Kenney, who focuses on development of his team and bench to grow operational consistency. With over 40 years of experience in quick service restaurants, including his former role as a McDonald’s owner/operator, Bob has a great range of experience that has made him a successful leader who inspires others to reach their full potential in leadership. He is always eager to take on new challenges, and has led through the acculturation of several acquisitions.
Jenn leads the Arby’s team as Director of Operations of our 48 restaurants in Washington, Oregon, and Southern California. Jenn started with Arby’s as her first job at the age of 16. As someone who worked her way up from a team member to a Director of Operations, development from within is her passion. Watching others grow and develop their careers is the most rewarding part of her job. She focuses on building strong teams with engaged managers while working towards ensuring company goals are met. Jenn has worked every position in the Arby’s restaurant brand over the last 21 years in the Seattle market. She is an avid Seahawks fan and book lover, and in her free time she enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, son, and dog.
As our Director of Operations for our Popeyes restaurants, Paul leads those teams from SW Oregon to north of Seattle, and out to the Tri-Cities in SE Washington. After 25 years of progressive leadership in the QSR industry, Paul believes that an emphasis on intentional culture that cares for people with a high degree of empathy is paramount to success, and that building future leaders is the most rewarding aspect of the job. Born and raised in Oregon, Paul enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching sports, and traveling.
Coordinating all the technology that connects our restaurants and support center is Felipe Martinez, our Director of Information Technology. In today’s QSR environment, maintaining seamless connectivity across POS, digital menu boards, drive-thru technology, and dozens of other moving parts is imperative to equip our team members, and provide the friction-less experience that guests expect. Felipe and his team manage the underlying components of all those aspects, and is a vital part of the Ambrosia QSR team.
Charlie Patton is our Director of Construction and Facilities, and has a background of 30 years in QSR and retail development. His most rewarding experiences have been transforming older facilities through remodels, and growing companies around the country. He’s brought his experience with Jack In The Box, Blockbuster, and Banfield Pet Hospital to grow and transform restaurants within the Ambrosia QSR portfolio. Mutuality is his most valued principal, working to create mutual wins, and he strives to support Operations in meaningful ways. Charlie has always lived in the Pacific NW, where he enjoys skiing, golfing and the great outdoors, in addition to attending Trail Blazers and OSU Beaver football games.
Noted for her professional persistence, Sydney has over seven years of experience working within the corporate commercial real estate industry with an eye for identifying optimal locations for retail, land, and investment development. Previously, she was a broker for the largest global Fortune 500 commercial real estate company. Sydney joined Ambrosia QSR in 2019 to focus on internal store growth and to build on the company’s real estate footprint in the Pacific Northwest, which she continues to lead today. Sydney represents the third generation of commercial real estate experts in her family based out of Portland, Oregon, where she grew up.
Sara has 20+ years of Human Resources experience in food service, most recently with the Burger King brand the past 15 years. Now, she’s proud to add brands such as Popeyes and Arby’s with Ambrosia QSR. Her professional commitment is advocating for the team and the company to ensure the best working experience that results in a great guest experience. Presence in restaurants, with celebrations, recognitions, and most importantly, developing our team is where her passion lies. She prides herself on her commitment to the 4 principal “E”s of Ambrosia QSR (Energy, Empathy, Engagement, & Execution) and the Empathy value guides her daily performance. Sara’s passion is her son and being the loudest mom on the field and/or court, which she has achieved to date!
Amanda Blount has been a leader for 18 years in the QSR industry, starting as a crew member and working her way up. With a strong belief in building and maintaining relationships, she has demonstrated an ability to find, develop, and promote team members at all levels within Ambrosia QSR. She now applies her laser-focus on operational excellence to the Ops Services department, where she supports our restaurant teams. With a relentless pursuit of perfection, Amanda values all the various cogs in the machine, and understands the importance of growing the business by growing the relationships within that business.